City of Rochester

News Release

(Thursday, May 2, 2013) – The City’s Department of Recreation and Youth Services will host a public meeting on Thursday, May 9, to provide an opportunity for the public to view and comment on design concepts for the proposed urban skate park in Downtown Rochester. Participants will learn about potential next steps for the project. The meeting will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. at the South Avenue Community Center, 999 South Ave.

The meeting will showcase conceptual design ideas for the proposed site under the Frederick Douglass–Susan B. Anthony Memorial Bridge, on the east side of the river. The proposed 75,000 sq. ft. site could make Rochester’s skate park the largest in the country and would likely become the preeminent skate park in Western New York.

With its size and scale, the park is expected to be suitable for special events and national competitions and would become a destination for the region’s skateboarding community. The park is envisioned as an urban park space that will enhance the outdoor recreation experience for walkers, joggers and cyclists.

The City is working in partnership with Friends of Roc City Skatepark to develop the project. The feasibility study and conceptual designs for the park are being led by local firm Stantec and its specialists who have designed skate parks across the country. Once the project’s site is confirmed, park organizers will work to raise money for the project with a goal of breaking ground by the summer of 2015.